We are fully into autumn and that means adding seasonal ingredients like pumpkin and butternut squash! This butternut squash soup is SO creamy and tasty and a great way to add more veggies into your meals. It’s also really easy to make, especially if you have a good blender (my personal favorite is the Vitamix)! The soup is also naturally gluten free and vegan (you can substitute olive oil for the butter). A fall comfort food that’s perfect for cozying up with a good book and a blanket!
Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash, halved vertically and seeded (~3 lbs)
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped shallot
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- fresh ground black pepper
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth
- 1-2 tbsp unsalted butter, optional
- pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place the squash on the parchment and drizzle just enough olive oil on the inside of the squash to coat, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Flip the halves over so they are face down, and roast until fully cooked through and tender, ~40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them rest for about 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
- In a large soup pot (note: if your blender is powerful enough to heat soup, you can do this in a skillet), heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and 1 tsp salt, and stir often until the shallot has started to turn golden, ~3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to stir for an additional minute. Scoop the contents of the pan into the blender.
- Scoop out all the squash flesh from the skin and add that to the blender, along with the maple syrup, nutmeg, and some fresh black pepper to taste (don't over do it, more can always be added later!). Pour in 3 cups of vegetable broth, or less if your blender cannot hold all 3 cups. Make sure you do not go over the fill line!
- Blend on high (or use the soup preset if it has one) until the soup is creamy and heated. If necessary, transfer the soup back to the soup pot and heat over medium-low heat until warm. To make the soup extra creamy, you can optionally add 1-2 tbsp butter or olive oil and blend on high for an additional 30 seconds. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve hot.
- Enjoy!
